Savvy Updates 6/13/22: Dexcom vs. Abbott, CREATE Trial: DIY Insulin Delivery System Safe, Effective, Gluroo App

Dexcom and Abbott’s fight over glucose monitoring patents intensifies in Europe was posted by Amy Sandys for Juve-Patent.com, 20 May 2022.

Dexcom and Abbott are currently going head-to-head over twelve separate patents covering their respective glucose monitoring devices (continuous glucose monitoring, or CGMs). The dispute spans the UK, Germany and the US, although it is likely that other European jurisdictions are involved. With around one in 14 people in the UK alone living with diabetes, the market is vast. As such, the value of the connected medical devices involved in glucose monitoring is only set to grow.

In Europe, the dispute began in July 2021 when Dexcom filed infringement suits on four of its patents: (EP (DE) 866 and EP(DE) 224; EP (DE) 159 and EP (DE) 539). This was against Abbott at the District Court Mannheim. Abbott counterclaimed by asserting infringement of four of its patents (EP (DE) 625 and EP (DE) 627; EP (DE) 223 and EP (DE) 636) against Dexcom at the same court. Two further cases, brought by Abbott against Dexcom, are also ongoing at the District Court of Düsseldorf

In the UK, twelve patents are at issue. Abbott claimed infringement of its eight patents, while Dexcom reacted by claiming infringement of its four patents. Both parties have challenged the patents-in-suit of the competitor.

- - How do you think these lawsuits will affect T1Ds?
  - Increased costs to cover extraordinary legal expenditures?
  - Limited CGM options?
  - A further feeling of distrust of device manufacturers who are only interested in profit motives?

What are your thoughts, please?

DIY Insulin Delivery System Safe, Effective for All Ages was written by Kristen Monaco for MedPageToday.com, 7 June 2022.

An open-source automated insulin delivery (AID) system — also known as a do-it-yourself system — was both safe and effective for patients with type 1 diabetes, according to the CREATE trial.

Over 24 weeks, users of the AID system spent more time in target glucose range (70 to 180 mg/dL) — an average of 14% longer — than those who were using sensor-augmented pump therapy without automation, reported Martin de Bock, PhD, of the University of Otago in Christchurch, New Zealand, during a presentation at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) annual meeting.

.The open-source AID system consists of the OpenAPS algorithm from a version of AndroidAPS implemented in a smartphone, paired with the DANA-i insulin pump and Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor. The researchers previously published additional information on the ins and outs of the algorithm in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders.

“Open-source AID, despite not being [FDA] regulated … is safe and efficacious in children and adults with type 1 diabetes compared to sensor-augmented pump therapy,” de Bock noted. “I’ve got no commercial gains from doing this study and it gets me hoping that in some groups where you can’t get commercial automation, this might provide an avenue for people who deserve to be getting the glucose benefits of automated insulin delivery.”

Gluroo: The Simplest, Yet Most Comprehensive Diabetes Tool You May Ever Need was written by Moira McCarthy for DiabetesMine.com, 12 December 2022.

It’s a thought that eventually crosses the mind of every diabetes parent — and the person with diabetes for that matter: “What I need here is simple: A personal assistant/organizer/soothsayer/Sherpa/data input associate that can help me 24/7.” One dad newer to the diabetes world believes he may have created just that.

Called Gluroo, it’s a mobile app that runs on both Android and iPhone, designed to help you keep track of, make decisions around, share information about, and generally stay on top of all things diabetes.

While Greg Badros created it first for the sake of his own family — his young son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in early 2020 — he’s now ramping up to make it available, and affordable, to all. As a veteran software developer who worked at both Google and Facebook, Badros has the chops to make this new tool a “killer app” for diabetes.

In looking for solutions to manage their young son’s T1D, Greg and his wife, Ginny, noticed:

- - Most tools were created for use by adults with diabetes, not as much for parents overseeing the care of a child.
  - The alerts in most diabetes systems were “done wrong.” For instance, while sitting at dinner with his family, at least three people would have glucose alerts go off at the same time. He saw that as overkill and something that can lead to alarm burnout.
  - Most devices were not cross-platform, something he felt was necessary in his family.

This is a powerful tool, carefully and thoughtfully designed by a uniquely skilled computer scientist, created a tool that would not only accomplish some diabetes tasks but actually make people’s lives with diabetes easier to manage overall.